1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a failure analyzing method and apparatus for rapidly specifying, with high precision, the failed portion of a measured device (semiconductor device) by using an emission analyzing apparatus.
2. Description of the Background Art
Recently, the technique for analyzing the failures of a semiconductor device, for example, a method for rapidly specifying failed portions with high precision has had great weight. In order to specify the failed portions of the semiconductor device which will become large-scaled, complicated and increased in speed in the future, it is also necessary to examine the information of an internal circuit as well as defective information output to the outside.
As one of semiconductor analyzing apparatus for examining the information of the internal circuit, there is an emission analyzing apparatus for specifying failed portions by detecting faint light emitted in a measured device (semiconductor device). The emission analyzing apparatus serves to detect light emission by hot carriers or the like generated in the minute current leakage portions in the device and the like when operating the measured device (semiconductor device). In order to analyze, in detail, the emitting portions (failed portions) in the measured device (semiconductor device) which are detected in the emission analyzing apparatus, it is necessary for an analyzer to recognize the positions of the emitting portions on CAD data such as a layout diagram or a circuit diagram.
At present, the failed portions are analyzed by the cooperation of the designer of the measured device (semiconductor device). It is expected that the semiconductor device will become more large-scaled and complicated to cause harder failure analysis in the future. Consequently, it is more necessary to easily specify the failed portions with high precision in a short time by using the semiconductor analyzing apparatus such as the emission analyzing apparatus.
However, a method for analyzing failed portions by using the emission analyzing apparatus according to the prior art has a problem that failure analysis is always performed very inefficiently because the designer's cooperation is required.